Automatic machinery for making split pins.



I. J. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR MAKING SPLIT PINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27.1910.

1 9 1 5 1 645 Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F ii,

l. J. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR MAKlNG SPLIT PINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1910.

1,1 5 1,645. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. l. YOUNG.

A U TOMATIC MACHINERY FOR MAKING SPLIT PINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27.19I0.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

( g mwww WETED STATES PATENT @FFKQE.

IRA J'. YOUNG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN WIRE PRODUCTSCOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR MAKING SPLIT PINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application filed .Tune 27, 1910. Serial No. 569,019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA J. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, andresident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Machinery for Making Split Pins, of which thefollowing is a specification containing a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference be ng had to the accompanying drawings, formlng apart hereof.

My invention relates to improvements 1n automatic machinery for makingsplit plns, the object of my invention being to construct an automaticmachine for forming split pins from half-round Wire and comprises a Wirefeed, a Wire cutter, pin forming devices and means whereby the operationof the various elements are timed to act at proper and regularintervals.

For the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the machineproper, a portion only of the base of the ma chine being shown; Fig. 2is an elevation illustrating the operative parts of the machine on theside opposed to that illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation,a portion of the operating pulley being broken away; Fig. 4 is anenlarged, detail sectional plan view taken approximately on the line Hof Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detail elevation illustrating theoperative positions of the cutting members, and pin forming devices justafter a predetermined length of half-round wire has been fed; and Fig. 6is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the same parts in positionscompleting the formation of a pin.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 1 designates thebase of the machine which may be of any desired construction.

2 and 3 designate the plates constituting the uprights which are spacedand held apart by a number of sleeves a and held together by bolts 5.

6 designates the main driving shaft j ournaled in bearings formed in theplates 2 and Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 6 outside the plate2 is the gear wheel 7 and keyed to the opposite end of the shaft 6outside the plate 3 is a gear wheel 8. The gear wheel 7 is arranged tooperate a cutting mechanism and feeding mechanism hereinafter describedand the gear wheel 8 arranged to operate the pin forming deviceshereinafter described. Carried by the shaft 6, between the plates 2 and3, is a pulley 9 which is embraced by a belt (not shown) for driving themachine.

The wire feeding mechanism comprises a pair of disks l0 and 11, the disk10 being mounted for rotation on a stub-shaft 12 pro jectlng from theleft hand side of the plate 2 and located adjacent the lower right handcorner of the machine. Secured to the outer face of the disk 10 is aratchet wheel 13. Carried by and arranged for rotation upon the shaft 12is a four-armed spider 14, each arm of which carries a spring held pawl15 arranged for engagement with the ratchet wheel 13. One of the arms 14is provided with a plurality of perforations 16 for the connectiontherewith of a pitman 17 Meshing with the gear 7 is a gear wheel 18 canr1ed by a stub-shaft 19 and which wheel is provided with a wrist pin 20which connects with the pitman 17 through the slot 21. The disk 11 ofthe feed is carried on an arm 22 which is pivotally connected with theplate 2 and at its free end the arm 22 is engaged by an extensile coilspring 23 which spring embraces a threaded rod 24 support ed in thebrackets 25.

26 designates an internally threaded nut embracing the threaded rod 2aand bearing against the spring, which nut provides a means for adjustingthe tension of the spring. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, thematerial from which the pins are formed passes between the disks 10 and11.

27 designates a wire straightener located adjacent the feeding meansthrough which the wire passes before reachin the cutting and formingmeans. The cutting means comprises a fixed cutting member 28 supportedin a block 29 which is adjustable laterally.

3O designates keepers adjustable laterally, through which keepersoperates a bar 31 carrying a cutting member 32. Pivotally connected withthe bar 31 is a pitman 33 which connects with the gear wheel 7 by meansof the wrist pin 34. For directing the wire after it passes the cuttingmembers and for placing it in position to be acted upon by the formingmeans is a block 35 in which there is a tapering groove. The block 35 iscarried by an arm 36 pivotally mounted on a bracket 37 so that the block35 may be moved outwardly away from the path of travel of the wire. Atthe upper end of the arm 36 there is a contractile coil spring 38 fornormally holding the block 35 outwardly. Above the pivotal point of thearm 36 there is a cam face 39 arranged to be engaged by a projection 40(see Fig. 3) carried by an arm 41 pivotally connected with the frame,which arm is engaged at regular intervals by a projection 42 on theinner face of the gear wheel 7. For holding the arm 41 in its normalposition there is a contractile coil spring 43. In addition to the block35, for directing the wire to its proper position in the forming means,there is a stop 44 the forward end of which is provided with a wedgeshaped projection 45, the point of which lies outside of the normal pathof travel of the wire and is shaped so that the wire will be forcedinwardly toward the machine and the forward end 46 of the stop isarranged to limit the forward movement of the wire in case the feedingmechanism is not properly adjusted. A portion of the forming mechanismincludes a hollow shaft 47 which is journaled in suitable bearingsformed in the plates 2 and 3, and formed on the forward end of thisshaft, outside the plate 2, is a head 48. Fixed in any suitable manneron the opposite end of this shaft 47 is a pinion 49.

50 designates a bar carrying a rack 51, which rack is in mesh with thepinion 49. For supporting the bar 50 there are keepers 52 secured to theplate 3 of the frame. For moving the bar 50 and rack 51 longitudinallythere is a pitman 53 pivotally connected at its lower end to the bar 50and at its opposite end with a wristpin 54, carried by the gear wheel 8,there being a slot 55 n the pitman through which the wrist pin operates.

56 designates a contractile COll spring connected with the upper end ofthe pitman 53 and to a spring-support 57 connected with the frame, thespring being arranged to normally hold the pitman 53 in such positlonthat the wrist pin 54 will be at the lowermost end of the slot 55.Carried by the outer face of the head 48 of the tubular shaft 47 is aprojection 58 which is substantially semicircular in cross section, thefiat face of which is substantially on a radial line from the center ofthe head 48.

58 designates a fixed forming member which coiiperates with theprojection 58, as shownin Figs. 5 and 6, the upper end of the fixedforming member being shaped to permit the projection 58 assuming thepositionshown in Fig. 5, while its extreme upper end terminates at apoint within the are described by the innermost corner of the projection 58.

Mounted to rotate with and to slide longitudinally within the hollowshaft 47 is a spindle 59 the forward end of which is reduced in diameterto form a center pin 59 around which the eye of the split pin is formed,and this center pin 59 normally projects beyond the head 48. For movingthe spindle and center pin longitudinally relative the shaft asuflicient distance to withdraw the forward end within the head 48 forpurposes which will be hereinafter made clear,

I have provided the lever 60 which is con-' 'nected with the rear end oftie spindle and is pivotally mounted on a bracket 61 seoured to theplate 3, therebeing a contractile coil spring 62 connected with thelever for normally holding the center pin to project through the head48. For engaging the lever 60 to actuate the same and draw the centerpin into the head 48 there is a wedge shaped block (33 which'is carriedby a bar 64 slotted at each of its ends andheld and guided in placeby'the posts 65. Connected with the wedge shaped block 63 is a pitman 66pivotally connected to a wrist pin 67 projecting laterally from a gearwheel 68 mesh ing with the gear wheel 8.

In the practical operation of the machine a strand of wire, from asupply (not shown), is passed between the feeding disks 10 and 11through the straigthener 27 and rested upon the fixed cutting member.Motion is then imparted to the machine by means of the pulley 9, theinitial operation being the cutting of the end of the wire so that theend of the wire tapersfrom the half-round side outwardly toward the flatside. In this connection it is to be understood that all of the cuts aremade in this manner so that the ends of all of the split pins are wedgeshape so they may be readily introduced where desired. After the cut hasthus been made, through the medium of the gear wheels'7 and 18, thefeeding mechanism is set in motion and a predetermined length of wirefed to theforming means. Through the medium of the gear wheel 8 andpitman 53 the rack bar 51 is actuated and thus rotates the gear wheel49, thereby rotating the shaft 47and moving the projection 58 around thecenter pinf59, the action of which projection 58 is clearly illustratedin Figs. 5 and 6. As hereinafter described the center pin 59 is mountedto rotate with and to movelengthwise' into the head 48 and thus when thelug 01' pro jection 58 engages the length of wire of which the split pinis formed and bends the same around the center pin to form the eye ofthe split pin the center pin moves or rotates synchronously with thehead 48 and projection 58 thereby overcoming any tendency of the wire ormaterial of which the l split pin is formed to creep and therefore Aforming device.

length of wire and both legs of the pin are straight and of the samelength. I have demonstrated in practice that where the center pin isfixed and does not move with the coiiperating parts the legs of thesplit pin will be formed of uneven lengths by 'reason of the creeping ofthe Wire around the stationary pin. Just prior .to the final completionof the split pin the movable cutting bar 31 is operated and the splitpin is cut from the wire. 1

During the time of the cutting and forming operations the feedingmechanism is inoperative, by reason of the slotted connection betweenthe pitman 17 and wrist pin 20 of the gear wheel 18. c To return theprojection 58 to its initial position, shown in Fig. 5, the movement ofthe rack-bar 51 is reversed, that is the rack bar 51 is re tracted bythe spring 56 and the pitman 53 moved to the other limit of its pin andslot connection with the gear wheel 8. It is to be noted that theconnection between the pitman 53' and the gear wheel 8 is a connectionsimilar to the connection just described of the pitman 17 and gear wheel18, that is a pin and slot connection, so that the forming devices willbe inactive at a time when the feeding mechanism is operating.Immediately after the split pin is completely formed the wedge shapedblock 63 is moved to a position engaging with the lever 60, thus movingthe lever outwardly so as to draw the center pin in a position with itsoperative end wholly within the head 48 of the former, thus permittingthe completed split pin to fall away from the In this manner the splitpins are formed from a continuous piece of half-round wire, all of theoperations being automatic and timed with relation to each other.

The completed pin is formed by a single arcuate movement of theprojection 58 and the forming of the eye in the center of the length ofwire is accomplished without extraneous means for holding the wire. Theend of the legs of the pin, immediately adjacent the eye, bears againstthe fixed support 58 while the lug or projection 58 engages the centralportion of the length of wire and bends the same aroimd the center pin59. The feeding mechanism comprising the disks 11 and 12 moves the endof the wire or that portion thereof to be formed into the split enddirectly over the fixed support 58 and the lug or projection 58 andbeneath the center pin 59. The head 48 carrying the projection 58 is nowpartially rotated to form the eye in the center of the length of wire,and prior to the completion of the partial rotary movement of the parts&8 and 58 the length of wire is the split pin are forced into contactwith one another. The lug or projection is now exerting pressure uponthe fixed member 58 through the sides of the split pin, and suchpressure forms the reverse bends between the legs of the pin and theeye. Thus it is absolutely necessary that the length of wire which formsthe split pin be cut from the main body of the wire, before the member58 exerts pressure upon the fixed -member through the parts of the wireforming the neck between the eye and the legs of the completed pin. Inthis manner a split pin is formed which has legs of equal length, whichfit snugly against one another, said legs being united at one end by asubstantially round eye, and which form of split pin is especiallydesired for use in various mechanical constructions, for the reason thatthe parallel, close-fitting legs can be easily inserted in an apertureof proper size.

The fixed support 58 is an essential part of the forming mechanism forthe reason that it supports the length of wire while the same is beingbent to form the split pin, and the forming end of said support opposesthe pressure of the lug or projection 58 when the legs of the split pinare forced into contact with one another, and while the lug orprojection 58 is pressing upon one of the legs of the split pin theforming end of the fixed support or former 58 is bearing against theopposite leg at the point where the same unites with the eye of thesplit pin, and thus the neck or reverse bends which unite the eye withthe legs are formed.

One of the improved features of my invention is the mounting of thespindle 59 within the hollow shaft 47, so that when said hollow shaft 47is positively rotated, first in one direction and then in a reversedirection by the engagement of the rack 51 with the pinion 49, itnecessarily follows that the spindle and center pin will likewise bepositively rotated in both directions synchronously with the hollowshaft, and at the proper time the wedge 63 engages the lever 60 andmoves the spindle 59 and center pin 59 lengthwise with respect to thehollow shaft 47 and parts carried thereby.

The various parts of my improved machine are of such relative sizes andare so timed in operation as to completely form one of the split pinswith each complete revolu- 'tion of the pulley 9, that is, the properlength of Wire is fed forward by the disks 10 and 11, the cuttingmechanism is actuated and the forming means is actuated to form acomplete split pin from the severed length of Wire duringone completerevolution of the pulley 9. g

It Will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a machine for making split pins a Wire feeding means, acutting mechanism, a

Wire forming mechanism comprising a rotatable center pin, and an elementarcually movable about sald center pin, and gear devices arranged totime the operations of said parts so that the feeding means Will firstact to move a piece of Wire a predetermined length, then move thearcually movable element of the forming mechanism and during themovement of said arcually movable element operate the cutting mechanism.

2. In a machine for making split pins a Wire feeding means, a cuttingmechanlsm, a

Wire forming mechanism comprising an axially movable and rotatablecenter pin and an element arcually movable about said center pin, andgear devices arranged to'time the operations of said parts so that thefeeding means Will first act to move a piece'of Wire a predeterminedlength, then move the arcually movable element and during the movementof said arcually movable element operate the cutting mechanism, andfinally move the center pin axially to release the split pin.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification, inpresence of two subscribing Witnesses. V IRA, J. YOUNG. Witnesses: V

N. G. BUTLER, E. L. WALLACE.

Copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

